Articlehybrid2021

New obstacles and widening gaps: A qualitative study of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. adults with disabilities

Sabrina Epstein · Jessica Campanile · Caroline Cerilli · Prateek Gajwani · Varshini Varadaraj · Bonnielin K. Swenor

69 citations0/0 files storedDisability and health journal

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Disability Rights and Representation Public Health Policies and Education Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Prior research has demonstrated that the needs of the disability community have not been met during public health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities for many populations including people with disabilities, and data is needed to develop inclusive public health response policies. OBJECTIVE: To identify how COVID-19 has uniquely impacted the lives of adults with disabilities. METHODS: 38 participants were recruited through disability advocacy groups and social media. Semi-structured virtual focus groups were conducted with adults (≥18 years) who self-identified as having a disability. Focus groups were conducted for each of six disability sub-groups: vision, hearing, mobility and physical, mental health, cognitive, intellectual, and developmental, and chronic illness. Using inductive coding, major themes were identified and compared across the disability sub-groups. RESULTS: Three major themes and thirteen sub-themes were identified from the focus groups. The three major themes comprised: new problems created by the pandemic, obstacles in daily life that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and broader changes to accessibility and disability identity. Sub-themes such as difficulty with COVID-19 testing and regular medical care were reported by participants of all disability sub-groups, while other sub-themes like direct care needs and medical rationing were reported by participants from a subset of the disability sub-groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate how the COVID-19 pandemic unequally impacts disabled people. The participants indicated that to fully address their needs, disability perspectives must be included in the public health pandemic response. As new research shows that COVID-19 can cause long-term disability, the urgency to ensure the disability community is part of public health policies will increase.

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References

2015Persons With Disabilities as an Unrecognized Health Disparity Population 2018Prevalence of Disabilities and Health Care Access by Disability Status and Type Among Adults — United States, 2016 2011Eliminating Health And Health Care Disparities Among The Growing Population Of People With Disabilities 2020The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic for people with disabilities 2020Disability, Disablism, and COVID-19 Pandemic Triage 2020Disability and COVID-19: who counts depends on who is counted

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